The Czech Republic has confirmed a deal with the United States to buy 24 F-35 jets at a cost of more than £5billion, sending a strong message to Russian President Vladimir Putin from its former Eastern Bloc ally.
Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova and US Ambassador Bijan Sabet put pen to paper on a memorandum of understanding which marks the Czech military’s biggest-ever purchase.
The Czechs also signed a letter of offer and acceptance, the final step in completing a contract between the governments, the Czech Defence Ministry announced.
Ms Cernochova said: “By signing this intergovernmental agreement, our country and also our army enter a new era.”
The Czech government approved the deal in September.
The first of the 24 fighter jets should be delivered in 2031, with the rest by 2035. The American aircraft will replace the 14 JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets from Sweden which are currently used by the Czech army.
The Czechs will pay almost £4billion ($5billion) to the US for the aircraft, training of pilots, ammunition and other costs, Ms Cernochova previously said.
The remaining money will be used to finance an upgrade of the Caslav air force base in central Czech Republic, fuel and training of staff, she said.
In a pointed message to the Russian President, chief of the general staff Lt Gen Karel Rehka: “The F-35 is the only system that can help us succeed in the future’s battlegrounds, and that in the case of need, we’ll manage to effectively defend ourselves against aggression, together with our allies.”
The Czech ministry has been negotiating the deal with the US for more than a year during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
